Acqua Lete

Sparkling Advertising.

START OF THE 20TH CENTURY – THE ORIGINS

Lete’s reputation spread by word of mouth. At the start of the century, important information, aimed at improving the day-to-day life of citizens, passed from person to person: the recommendation of a friend, a neighbour or the doctor were all that was needed to publicise the “therapeutic properties” of Lete.

This information already appeared in great detail on the label, the first real information medium for consumers: Lete assists with diseases of the liver and bile ducts, with arthritis, and with gout and diabetes, and using the language of the time, it was a “sovereign remedy” for indigestion, gastro-intestinal ailments and much more besides.

1909 – THE FIRST POSTERS

8 August 1909: the first Lete advertisement was published in the fortnightly “La Giovane Capua”.

The advert reflected all the charisma that the brand would become famous for in the future, presenting Lete as the “queen of mineral waters”: it was the first advertising slogan, instantly high-impact and sparkling.

THE ’90S – THE TV DEBUT

The first TV advert, with Lete making its debut on the small screen just before the great boom in television advertising in the ’90s, was as enjoyable as the water itself, and most importantly, grabbed everyone’s attention: Lete is “the water that’s good for you”, whatever your age, at any time.

It was the first step towards making Lete one of the best-known and most prestigious mineral water brands in the space of just a few years.

THE ’90S – SPORTS ADVERTISING

The ’90s marked a watershed moment for Lete. Referencing the water’s typical characteristics, in particular its balanced mineralisation that replenishes the minerals lost when playing sports, Lete positioned itself as the water for sport. This positioning enabled wide-ranging communication activities on several fronts: from classic advertising to sports sponsorships.

The TV adverts playfully showed the Lete bottle and top performing manoeuvres at the dinner table, associating them – with the help of the voices of sports commentators – with the achievements of the general public’s favourite champions, like Gianfranco Zola, Yuri Checi and Marco Pantani. “Effervescence is a gift from nature” was the common message. A link was thereby created between the inherent talent of these celebrities and the water’s natural flair for success.